


Stars Shine Brightest in the Darkest of Nights

by Kitahara_Rei



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Ai is Reiji's son, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Blood and Injury, Gen, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, this is pretty much a coffee shop au but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2020-11-27 16:56:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20951771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitahara_Rei/pseuds/Kitahara_Rei
Summary: Amongst the busy fashion and entertainment district of Shibuya, there was a rumour of a small café, just off the side from the main street. It was said that it was the entrance to Wonderland, but yet, no one could recall exactly what happened once you left the café. The owner was a strange man with stranger eyes, who moved with a grace that wasn't quite human. Yet, his smile was gentle and warm, inviting you in for a drink or two. No one quite remembered what he looked like, but his name was...It was like any other day like usual until Reiji saves a man from dying in front of his doorstep.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya it's me again, now writing this AU for October. Hopefully I'll be able to churn the ideas out and complete it (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧

Amongst the busy fashion and entertainment district of Shibuya, there was a rumour of a small café, just off the side from the main street. It was said that it was the entrance to Wonderland, but yet, no one could recall exactly what happened once you left the café. The owner was a strange man with stranger eyes, who moved with a grace that wasn't quite human. Yet, his smile was gentle and warm, inviting you in for a drink or two. No one quite remembered what he looked like, but his name was...

"Rei-chan, thanks for the cakes and tea. They were delicious!"

Reiji beamed over at his customers from the counter. "Thank you, my girls. I hoped that you've enjoyed your time here at the Kotobuki Café. May you have a safe journey home," he said with a flourish of his hand. Immediately, their eyes took on a glazed look, even as they turned around to leave. He watched as they stepped out into the street, standing still for a moment before continuing their conversation as if nothing happened, returning back to their usual lives.

They were the last customers for the day. Reiji walked over to the door to flip the sign over. It was almost dark out, the streetlamps already beginning to flicker to life. He didn't accept customers after dusk, for it was too dangerous. Some humans could lose their way home after mingling with too much magic, or attract the attention of other far more dangerous beasts that prowled the night.

There were dishes to clean, floors to sweep, tables to wipe down. Reiji needed to prepare for the following day too, to think up of a menu to captivate his new batch of customers. A blend of tea to go with a plate of cake, or perhaps a parfait or two. Ice-cream sounded like a great addition to his menu.

It had taken him a few hours to clean and arrange the café back into a respectable state. The dishes were washed, dripping dry on the rack by the sink. All he needed now was a new special for tomorrow. Reiji had come up with some a few days ago, but hadn't had the time to test it out yet. Crepes sounded good, but it was extra effort to prepare it fresh, and he was running his café alone. Admittedly, he didn't have the usual customer load compared to back then, when _he_ was still around. But Reiji could handle it. He had to.

There was a loud thump outside, startling Reiji from his thoughts. He ran to the window, anxiously searching for the source of the noise. Whatever it was, it didn't sound good. It was dark out, the streetlamps casting a ghostly glow onto the empty street. The clock on the wall showed three in the morning. Who was out this early in Shibuya? None of the other shops or cafes were open, aside from the 24-hour convenience store across the road.

Then, he caught sight of movement from the shadows.

There was a cloaked figure outside, slumped in the middle of the empty street, clutching at their shoulder. That wasn't what caught his attention, though. A pool of red had trailed from one of the alleys opposite. Was it blood? It was too dark to tell. There was a creature in the shadows, stalking the figure, glowing golden eyes focused upon its next victim. Its scales shimmered in the faint moonlight, the long, sharp claws glinting as it stepped out. A cockatrice, one of the deadliest creatures known to Earth. Without thinking, he ran out into the street towards to injured figure.

Reiji wasn't strong enough to fend off the beast by himself, but he could create a distraction long enough to bring the man back into safety. He concentrated magic on his palm, the thin wisps of light gathering to create a small glowing ball. It wasn't as strong as he hoped, but he prayed that it would be enough. He flung it in the direction of the beast.

One bright flash and a loud 'boom' later, the cockatrice's screech pierced the silent night. It was a good distraction, giving Reiji enough time to haul the man over his shoulder like a rugged potato sack. He ignored the groans of pain in his ear, sprinting back to his café. Slamming the door behind him, it effectively sealed off the path to the street outside. He could see the beast looking around for its prey, slinking off into the alley soon after losing sight of them.

Loud and dry coughing in his ear reminded him that he was still carrying a bleeding (and possibly, dying) man. Reiji hurriedly brought him into his room to lay the man on his bed, crouching down to inspect his wounds. There was a large open gash on his arm exposed by the rips in his jacket, which was where the blood had been flowing from. It was slowly turning black, a common symptom of magical poisoning. But first, he needed to stop the bleeding. Ripping up the shredded cloak, he wrapped the strips around the wound, hoping that it would hold for a few minutes at least.

"Wait here, I'll be right back," he said. There were some antidotes he had in the back room, stored away for emergencies. He hadn't quite anticipated something like this happening when he first bought the set, but now, he was glad he kept it well-stocked. Reiji looked through the faded labels, pulling out the one labelled 'Cure-All'. It was a dusty bottle with a murkish blue liquid, one he bought off a friend years ago.

He vaguely remembered that it was a cure for poison, but he wasn't sure how much it would heal a scratch laced with venom. Reiji didn't know the effect it had on humans either. But there was no time to dally. Either way, the man was going to die.

Reiji rushed back to the man with that in mind, grabbing the first-aid kit on the way. The human's breathing was becoming more shallow with each gulp of air he took, his face contorted with pain. Reiji could see his aura fading, a bad sign. He was turning paler by the second.

He pulled off the makeshift bandage. The hooded cloak was already a goner, with the many holes and rips it had ended up in. The harder one to maneuver him out of was the coat he wore, which hadn't protected him much against the claws of the reptile. From one touch, Reiji knew it was dragonhide, so cutting it off wasn't an option. There was no choice. He placed his hand gently on the man's face, humming a few notes of magic. Slowly, the expression on his face eased.

He couldn't use the spell for long, so he took the chance to pull the jacket off from him in one yank. Now that the dragonhide coat was discarded to the side, he had a better view of the injury. Reiji grimaced at the bloody sight.

"This will hurt," he said, uncorking the bottle. Soaking gauze with the liquid, he hesitated before pressing it down onto the wound.

Immediately, the man gave a hoarse yell, nails digging into the sheets. A loud sizzling echoed in the room, causing Reiji to wince. Hopefully, it meant that the antidote was working its magic, burning through the venom. When he looked again in a few minutes, he could see that the wound had miraculously stopped bleeding completely and it was starting to heal. The man's aura hadn't recovered, but at least it wasn't fading further. Slowly, the man seemed to relax and his breathing steadied. Reiji let out a sigh of relief.

He took the nearby cloth and plastic basin filled with water, using the cloth to clean the man up. The water was quickly stained dark with the man's blood, but at least he looked better now, less grimy and blood-covered. He wrapped clean bandages around the arm, finishing it up with a neat knot.

Now that everything was settled and the adrenaline was wearing off (not to mention how much of his magic he had used tonight), Reiji was exhausted. Light-headed, he closed his eyes to steady himself. Breathe in, breathe out.

When he felt better, Reiji opened his eyes to look up at the man's sleeping face. He was deep asleep, his brows unfurrowed. The man looked young, barely in his twenties. "At least I was able to save you," he murmured, reaching out to the man's forehead, brushing away the hair sticking to his face. Reiji yawned, laying his head down on the bed, watching the rise and fall of the man's chest until his eyelids drifted close.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiji learns a little more about his unexpected visitor.

_There was a metallic tinge in the air that was oh-so-familiar, a scent that turned his stomach when he realised what it was. Blood._

_He was in the middle of an abandoned road, one that was familiar to him. A heavy weight lay in his red-stained arms, hauntingly blue orbs staring back at him unblinkingly, his mouth was moving despite his glassy expression. The rain was too loud in his ears, but not enough to drown out his words. He was icy in his arms, turning colder by the second. Reiji was frozen to the spot, unable to move, unable to speak. A freezing touch of fingers clutched at his face, those blue eyes impossibly wide._

** _"How could you, Reiji?"_ **

Reiji sat up with a gasp, blinking awake. With a shaky breath, he looked down at his hands. They were damp with sweat, not bright red like he had seen in his nightmare. Clenching his fists, he took in a deep breath to steady himself. It had been a while since he had last slept. It wasn't a regular occurrence, only because of the recurring nightmare that surfaced every time he did so.

It wasn't so much more a nightmare than a memory from the years past. Had it been that long already?

His head was pounding and his body ached badly. When he closed his eyes, he could still see it. The image had been so vivid, so real, that he could still smell the metallic tinge of blood. But why had he fallen asleep? Reiji had taken special care to keep himself awake all this time. Something must have exhausted him badly last night.

He dug through the haze in his mind, trying to recall what happened. There had been an injured man that Reiji saved and treated. He should still be in bed, resting. Snapping his gaze over to said object, he was confused to see it empty. If it wasn't for the blood spots leading from the door to his bed, he would have thought that it was all a dream. So that was where the smell had come from.

But there was the question: where was he? Reiji couldn't feel his presence anywhere in the café. The lingering traces of his magic signature led to the main door, where there was a gaping hole in his magic wall. It needed fixing immediately before some curious human entered unknowingly.

He bent down to pick up the items on the ground, freezing at the sight of silver glinting from under his bed. A small dagger lay there, forgotten by its owner. Reiji had to be careful with it; if it was silver, he could burn himself from just one touch. Yanking off the towel from the side table, he used it to wrap around the knife, shoving it in a nearby drawer. He could take the time to look at it later; there were more pressing matters at hand to take care of.

A few curious onlookers were peering into his café through the open door, gasping at the bloodstains in the front. Immediately, Reiji weaved back the broken link. Hopefully, the wards outside would be enough to keep the humans away from finding his realm. It wouldn't do to have the local police storming his shop. The man must have destroyed the spell to escape his realm. With a last flick of his fingers, everything was back into place, the door safely closed to the outside world again. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he looked down at the blood trail, then up at the clock on the wall. It was going to take a while for him to clean it up, Reiji mused, rolling up his sleeves.

In a few hours, his café was spick and span, just the way it was the day before. Reiji returned upstairs to retrieve the dagger from the drawer it was kept in, holding it up to observe it in the daylight, taking extra precaution to hold it with the towel.

There were familiar inscriptions carved on the flat side of the silver knife, the ancient language of the celestials. He knew enough to know that it was used to bless the blade to ward off 'evil spirits', or in today's terms, magical beings. It was heavy sitting on his palm, though when Reiji turned it around, the edges were blunt and dull with many scratches from overuse. The spell on it had faded from the long years. It wasn't deadly by any means, but it would still sting like a bitch to any non-human creatures, Reiji included.

He supposed it belonged to the man from last night. It must have fallen out when he left, since Reiji didn't recall seeing any weapons on his person when he first brought the man here. A symbol on the hilt caught his eye. It was a family crest, one that he didn't recognise. He had a Summoners' Registry tucked away somewhere on the bookshelf that contained information on all magical families within the area of the Night Market. Leaving the knife on the table, he went to search for the it. He hadn't touched it in five years, and maybe more.

Flipping through the dusty pages of the Registry, he frowned when he couldn't find the information he was looking for. It was clearly a summoner's mark, though there didn't seem to be a record in the book. Either that, or they were taken out for one reason or another.

Reiji closed the book, sliding the knife into his pocket. There was a someone he needed to visit in the Night Market.

\-----

With the illusion in place, Reiji weaved through the evening crowd, slipping through easily. To any other person, he looked just like a human heading towards the shopping district, his dull brown eyes looking straight ahead for the portal entrance.

It was located underground in Shibuya Station, just through a long corridor that phased into what was known as the Night Market, an otherwordly realm for magical beings. It had a long and winding history that Reiji cared little for, but this was where he met his acquaintances.

One in particular was famous for his magical brews. He stepped into the store, smiling when he saw the man at the counter, deeply engrossed in crushing dried seeds into powder. He was too concentrated that he hadn't heard the bell by the door ring. "Hijirin, how have you been?" Reiji greeted, examining the bottles on the shelves behind him. They were different types of restoratives, stamped with the Hijirikawa family's seal. "Are you running the shop alone today?"

The man looked up in surprise. "Kotobuki-san, it's been a while," he said, sliding the mechanical glasses onto his forehead. "My father and Mai are out on an ingredient run. What brings you here today?"

"I was in the area, so I thought it would be nice to see you. I've brought you a gift," Reiji said, placing a wrapped box on the counter. When Masato opened it, he smiled widely at the green-coloured cakes inside. "A little something special I made for you. Share it with Mai-chan, all right?"

"Of course. I'm sure she'll love it. Mai always loves the desserts that you make," Masato said, smiling gently. He closed the cover to the box, setting it aside. "Oh, of course, in return, I'll give you this. Please give me a moment." He went to the shelves in the back, glass clinking against glass as he rummaged through the collection. Reiji took this time to wander around the empty shop. He was glad the elder Hijirikawa wasn't around; Masaomi always rubbed him the wrong way. Everything he disliked about the summoners, the head of the Hijirikawa family had it all. At least his son Masato was more naïve. He didn't know that Reiji wasn't quite human. "Here it is, Kotobuki-san," Masato said, returning to the main counter. "It is an updated formula, so it should work better than the one you had before."

"Thanks so much. I'll make sure to treasure it well." Winking, Reiji slid the bottle into his pocket. Now with the pleasantries out of the way, it was down to business. "Hijirin, you know a lot about the summoner families in the Night Market, right? Can you tell me which family's crest this is?"

He took out the cloth-wrapped knife, showing the hilt to Masato. The other man pulled on his mechanical glasses, turning the blunted dagger around in his hands delicately. He sucked in a breath at the sight of the family crest, taking a few glances around to make sure that no one outside was looking or listening in. "Kotobuki-san, where did you get this from?" Masato asked quietly.

"A customer left it in my shop. Why, is it cursed or something?" Reiji asked airily, leaning against the counter.

Masato bit his lip. Oh boy, that wasn't a good sign. "I haven't seen this blade in ten years," he said slowly, finger tracing the engraved spell. "It belonged to someone I knew back then. Have you heard of the Kurosaki family?"

He shook his head. "Can't say that I have."

"He was a little older than I am, an old family friend. But I haven't seen him since the Kurosaki family was taken off the Register."

"Taken off? What law did they break?" Reiji asked, curious. Now it made a little more sense to why the creature of the dark was chasing after him, if he was meddling with Things That Shouldn't Be.

Masato fidgeted. "I'm not sure. My father never told me. I was eight at the time." He pulled the glasses off, folding them and placing them to the side. "Rumour has it that after the head of the family died, the rest of them disappeared from the world after they were struck off the Register." Masato wrapped the knife back in the cloth, handing it back to Reiji.

"I'll be sure to return this to him when he comes by for it," Reiji said. "What is his name?"

"Kurosaki Ranmaru." Masato smiled sadly. "Be careful out there, Kotobuki-san. There is a lot of dark energy out there tonight. It would be wise to return early."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reiji finds this Ranmaru, or rather, Ranmaru finds him.

It was almost daybreak when Reiji finally left the Night Market. He found himself alone, walking through the empty underground mall, most of the shops closed. He had spent most of his time scrounging for information in the local taverns about this Kurosaki Ranmaru, only to come up empty-handed. From the general aura he felt from the people, he could tell that no one wanted (or rather, couldn't) talk about that particular subject. Especially with the sharp eyes of the Circle members watching their every word. Even the shadiest of characters had given him a burning before telling him to move on with his business.

But there had been a word that had been mentioned once, and it was burned into his memory. The Purification.

It was a decade-long effort taken by the Summoner's Circle to weed out the demonic filth amongst their ranks, to get rid of the stain of evil amongst the pureblood families. Traitors were executed on the spot ruthlessly, with the rest of their families and their land burned to the ground. He assumed that the Kurosaki family had met such a fate from how they were void in the Register, though how the eldest son had survived that, no one knew. His whereabouts had been unknown since then. Well, until Reiji met him.

But strangely enough, Reiji hadn't felt any dark energy from their short encounter, despite being a supposed demon summoner. His dagger would have become rusted from the underworldly energy, but here it lay in Reiji's pocket, the flat edge of the blunt blade shimmering with a dull glow. There was the question of why a creature from the Underworld had been after him, if he had truly joined the Underworld side.

He paused. His sharp hearing caught the slight scuffling of boots on the stone pavement behind him, which quickly stopped the moment he stood still. There wasn't supposed to be anyone out here at this hour, Reiji knew. If he took one look behind him, it could alert the person stalking him, leading to an unwanted confrontation. He started walking again, this time increasing his pace. His hand went to the holy blade in his pocket, feeling the sting as the magic seared the skin on his palm. He was prepared to fight, but he would rather not. If it came down to it, then he would show them a thing or two-

There was no warning when Reiji was roughly shoved against the wall, pinned with a cold, steel blade pressed against his throat. His assailant's face was covered by a skull-like mask, though it couldn't hide the mismatched eyes that glowed through the shadows cast by his mostly-ripped hood. A very familiar-looking hood. "Return my blade, fae," came the muffled demand.

Reiji had the tip of the celestial blade pressed against the man's side, but he knew it wouldn't pierce through the dragonhide vest even if it was made from adamantite. But it was better than nothing. "Kurosaki-kun," Reiji greeted casually, as if there wasn't a blade as long as his forearm at his throat that could slit it so easily if it was pushed in a little more. "You look much better today."

The man's eyes narrowed. "Where did you hear that name from? Tell me." The cold steel of the blade was pressed closer. Reiji swore he could feel the slight prickle as it nicked just the slightest bit, the burn of metal singeing his skin.

"So, I was right. You are Kurosaki Ranmaru, the last living member of the Kurosaki family. Someone still remembers you. Quite fondly too," he said. The eerie colour of magenta from his right eye made Reiji's skin crawl, but with the man's face so close to his own, he could see the faint marks of a Summoner engraved on the edes his iris. Reiji could barely make it out, but it looked like it was written in the ancient celestial script. "But you don't seem to be as they said you are. A d-"

A flicker of movement from the side of his vision alerted him to the incoming danger that launched itself their way. "Watch out!"

Reiji shoved him backwards forcefully as a giant claw came swinging where Ranmaru's neck had been mere seconds before, cutting through the air. The cockatrice landed on the ground, turning around and hissed at him, upset at missing its prey. Was it the same one from that night? The scorched feathers where his magic had hit it seemed to agree with that notion. The cockatrice lost all interest in its original target, circling around to trap Reiji against the wall, its slitted yellow eyes focused on him, clearly out for revenge.

There was only one thing for him to do here. If Reiji timed it right, he could get it in one hit. But if he missed, he might lose an arm or his life, no big deal at all.

Gripping the blade tighter in his hand, Reiji watched it carefully. He had to wait for that one moment. It lunge at him with its claws outstretched, but Reiji dodged out of the way at the last second, sending the creature crashing head-first into stone. He jammed the blunt blade down where the back of its head was, his stomach plummeting when he heard it scratch uselessly against metal, the blade slipping out from his grip and clattered onto the ground. It reared up, unscathed, rounding its long scaly body onto Reiji, claws out, ready to deliver the final blow. Its talons glimmered under the dim streetlight above, and Reiji squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself.

But the pain never came. It let out an unearthly screech, and the moment Reiji opened his eyes, a spray of black rained down upon him. It had been sliced into half, the two halves turning into ash the moment they hit the ground, the metal collar cluttering where the creature once was. The black blood sizzled off soon after.

"Oh my God," Reiji muttered, feeling his legs turning into jelly. He found himself sliding onto the ground, watching as the hooded man yanked his blade out from the ground, flicking the black from it. Ranmaru bent down to pick up the celestial dagger that Reiji had dropped, wiping it on his clothes before tucking it inside his coat. He turned to regard Reiji, though Reiji couldn't quite tell what he was thinking with his face was hidden by that mask.

Before the man could speak again, there was an unearthly screech in the distance, at which Ranmaru tensed up. "They sent more already?" He cursed under his breath, looking around for an escape route. There was nowhere to hide in the narrow underground, as the man was finally figuring out.

"We can go back to my shop," Reiji offered, the words leaving his mouth before he could think it through properly. "It's not far from here. We can get there in five minutes if we run."

The man stared at him for at least five seconds before nodding. Reiji could already hear the sounds of scuttling feet (way too many feet for just one creature) from somewhere down the corridor. He hefted himself onto his feet (they decided not to be dessert anymore), motioning for the man to follow him as he took off in a run.

It happened oh-so-fast, but as they turned around the corners, Reiji swore that he saw a blur with hideously hairy spindly legs. Boy, that was something he didn't need or want to see. He was almost out of breath when they reached the main street where his café was. Reiji ripped apart the spell with one swipe of his hand, leaping through the space that was exposed. The man joined him right afterwards, landing inside the shop with a thud. Immediately, Reiji closed it off, weaving in a few more incantations to strengthen the seal. The beady eyes of the creature outside watched him, slinking off into the shadows. For the second time that week, Reiji felt utterly exhausted.

"Reiji? Is that you? I thought I heard... Oh."

He looked up to see a very familiar figure squinting at him in the darkness, having just left the kitchen with a steaming mug in hand, which smelled like coffee. There was the question of why the lights were still off, but the bigger question at hand was...

"Ai-Ai, when did you get home?" Reiji asked, laughing nervously. "Did school camp end early?"

"No. Don't tell me you forgot that I was coming home today." Whoops, was it already that day? That made Reiji feel the guilt like a punch to his gut. Ai reached for something behind him, and suddenly, light flooded his vision, blinding him momentarily. "You know, if you wanted to spend time with your..."

As Ai's voice trailed off, Reiji realised that it must have looked really strange for them to be dressed like this and sitting on the floor, especially to a human teenager. The stare that was burning in the side of his face only prompted him to pull on the brightest smile and quash down the rising panic, his mind going into overdrive thinking up of a story to tell him. There they were, staring at each other until Reiji broke the silence. "Well, this is awkward. Say hi to Ran-Ran," Reiji said, gripping Ranmaru on the shoulder in what he hoped looked like a friendly manner. "Ran-Ran, this is my son, Ai-Ai."

"Just... Ai," Ai said, looking back and forth between Reiji and Ranmaru. "What happened with Mr. Cryzard?"

"Myu-chan? What about him?" Reiji asked, confused.

"You know what? Never mind. Do whatever you want," Ai said, waving his hand. He gave one last judging look at Ranmaru before shuffling off upstairs to his room.

"You have a son?" Reiji found himself under Ranmaru's incredulous scrutiny.

"Well, it's a long story. But he's my pride and joy."

Ranmaru snorted. "I'll say. Stealing human children are what the likes of your kind do."

"Yeah, that's what faeries do. Pick up lost people in the woods, give them a great time and never let them go. What can you do about it?" Reiji said, releasing his glamour with a snap of his fingers. He hadn't realised that he had it on for so long. "Blood-thirsty, trickster little demons. What a terrible lot we are."

"But you're different."

Reiji turned his now mismatched eyes onto Ranmaru, blinking. "What?"

"You saved me again. You could have just let it kill me and flee," he said, taking a few steps closer to Reiji. Now that Reiji noticed, Ranmaru was much taller than he was when he was standing at full height in front of him. And almost with their chests pressed together. They were that close. Now his mind was just rambling. He knew what Ranmaru looked like under that mask, and boy, he was- "You're more human than fae."

"I- What?"

Ranmaru only continued to stare down at him. "Do you want to stay?" Reiji blurted out, then realized what he just said. "I-I mean, until the coast is clear outside. No obligations, of course," he said, taking a step backwards. "I do have a spare room upstairs if you don't have anywhere else to go, and it's safer here if you're hiding from anyone. Not that I know what's going on, but-"

"Why? You knew my name, you know what happened."

Reiji could see, no, _feel_ the pain emanating from the man in front of him. "I don't know that whole story," he admitted, "but I know that you're not a bad person." His aura was burning and flickering like a flame, but there was no taint of darkness.

"You're a strange one," Ranmaru said at last.

"Does that mean you'll stay?"

The man looked away, giving him the barest nod. "Only until they're clear from the area."

Reiji grinned widely. "Then, I'll show you to your room."


End file.
